1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to illumination devices for motor vehicles and more particularly to multi-purpose illumination devices provided in a floor mounted console in the motor vehicle.
2. Prior Art
In motor vehicles there are generally required many different illumination functions within the interior of the motor vehicle. Such interior illumination requirements include overall illumination of the interior by means of a dome lamp while the motor vehicle is stopped and partial illumination for illuminating various items of equipment provided on the instrument panel, i.e., stereo equipment, etc., or for illuminating such things as books, maps, etc., being referred to by a person other than the driver while the motor vehicle is in motion. Examples of conventional interior illumination devices which perform the partial illumination function are spot lamps, personal lamps, map lights, etc. provided in various places within the passenger compartment. However, since spot lamps or personal lamps are ordinarily rigidly fixed to an interior overhead console or to the roof of the motor vehicle passenger compartment, it is sometimes difficult to appropriately illuminate the various items of equipment mounted in the instrument panel. Furthermore, many map lights are fastened to the instrument panel by means of a flexible supporting column. Therefore when the lamp is not in use, the flexible supporting column interferes with the operation of various other items of equipment of the motor vehicle. Furthermore, all of the above described lamps suffer from other drawbacks. These drawbacks include that the lamps provided forward of the front seat cannot be used by passengers in the rear seats and cannot be used to illuminate the luggage space in hatchback automobiles, which have recently been increasing in popularity.
In order to overcome the above drawbacks and meet the above-described requirements, it would be necessary to provide illumination devices throughout the whole interior of the automobile. Such a solution is undesirable from the standpoint of economization of resources and since it increases the cost of manufacture.